Watch this video of Ola breaking down the foot condition Metatarsalgia, and sharing her story of how she personally dealt with this condition.
What Is Metatarsalgia?
I know from personal experience that metatarsalgia is mainly pain in the ball of the foot.
Check out my video above to ascertain where the ball of the foot is.
I spent 9 months of 2025 limping and trying to resolve my own metatarsalgia.
What Does Metatarsalgia Feel Like?
It can show up as discomfort, burning, numbness, or tingling. Although it can be greater or lesser degrees of pain/sensations, it becomes an ‘issue’ if your walking or your daily life is affected.
What Causes Metatarsalgia?
There are many causes; over-use which stresses of the ball of the foot – during sport for example; bony feet and metatarsal heads; the shape of your foot – especially a dropped forefoot/high arch; tight calves; Morton’s neuromas (fibrous tissue build-up between bones or ligaments which squeeze and trap nerves); bursars (fluid sacs inside the foot); the way you walk ie; your gait. All of these create inflammation inside the ball of the foot and result in pain.
How Can You Help Metatarsalgia?
Measures to help the condition are numerous. Wear appropriate footwear with special attention to the toe box. Avoid putting pressure on the painful area; so rest from sport & overuse allows inflammation to settle. Exercises stretch tight calf muscles, reducing pressure on the forefoot. Also, steroid and pain relief injections into the affected area.
What Helped Me Personally
My saviour was offloading pressure on my bony ball of the foot area using insoles (orthotics) and shoe inserts. They haven’t cured me fully, but my comfort is much improved.
Try ice to break the pain cycle, but beware if you suffer from chilblains or Raynaud’s disease. What surprised me is how tricky it was to improve my metatarsalgia when I’m in the industry!
I chose the NHS to rescue me after buying 6 pairs of different insoles, which didn’t do the job fully.
Why It’s Important Not to Ignore It
It was a wake-up call on how quickly my general physical condition and attitude began to slide downhill. At one point, I was only able to do 1 of 3 activities I’d planned for a weekend.
Then I started to worry about gaining weight, losing physical condition, and ability. It was on my mind – and jobs list – for roughly 9 months. It felt like the start of a slippery slope at the age of only 62 and in reasonable condition.
If you recognise any of these symptoms in yourself, don’t suffer. Book in and I’ll help you to heal, one way or another. I’ve been there…..
